Pakistan

PESHAWAR: With the death toll from last week’s flash floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reaching 393, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Thursday issued an advisory for widespread rains in the province from August 22 to 26. A PDMA report issued here said that the tally of deaths from last Friday’s catastrophic rains and flash floods had gone up to 393, with Buner, the most affected district, reporting 234 fatalities as well as injury to 128 people. Also, 42 people were killed and 20 injured in Swabi district, while Shangla district has recorded 36 deaths, Mansehra 25, Bajaur 22 and Swat 20. The PDMA report said that the Pakistan Meteorological Department had forecast the start of widespread rains in the province’s central and upper parts from August 22. Most 234 fatalities reported in Buner district It said that widespread downpour, along with wind and thunderstorms, were very likely in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Malakand, Buner, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Abbottabad,...

KOT ADDU: Villagers carrying their children on their shoulders wade through floodwaters in Ehsan Pur village.—AFP • Fresh spell of torrential rains forecast across the country • PDMA issues high-alert warning for Punjab • Tarbela Dam is at maximum capacity; Mangla Dam is 74pc full LAHORE / RAWALPINDI: Thousands of families in south Punjab have been displaced as floods caused by overflowing Indus and Chenab rivers have destroyed homes, crops and farmland. Districts including Layyah, Taunsa Sharif, Kot Addu, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Multan are among the worst affected. In Multan, floodwaters entered several villages, destroying crops and mango orchards. In Kot Adu, residents of Ehsanpur and Hinjrai union councils were forced to evac­uate along with their livestock. “Houses are surrounded by water, crops have vanished and land is eroding,” a rescue official told Dawn on condition of anonymity, adding that his team had evacuated over 150 people and their cattle by boat. In Layyah, floodwaters w...

BAJAUR / SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: At least 11 people — including a woman and children — were injured, when heavy clashes erupted between security forces and militants in the Birmal tehsil of Lower South Waziristan district on Thursday morning, officials and residents told Dawn. The exchange of fire took place near Karmazi Stop, as troops were carrying out an operation to take control of a key militant stronghold. Sources said security forces managed to establish two new posts in the area. Officials said that several militants initially managed to take refuge inside a nearby structure, but later fled during the clearance operation. The crossfire left 11 residents injured, who were provided first aid before being shifted to the District Headq­uarters Hospital in Wana. Witnesses said intermittent firing continued throughout the day, and residents said the area remained tense throughout the operation, with families confined to their homes for several hours. The Wana-Azam Warsak Road remained closed until around 1pm, dis...

ISLAMABAD - The Senate Standing Committee on Water Resources, chaired by Senator Shahadat Awan, on Wednesday reviewed compliance reports on the audit paras of WAPDA and expressed serious concerns over decades-long pending legal cases, land disputes worth trillions of rupees, and the closure of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project.

Walt Disney’s ESPN will deliver its full range of sports programming outside of pay TV for the first time starting on Thursday, when the network debuts an app designed to be a hub for live games and personalized news, stats and highlights. The ESPN app is Disney’s effort to capture some of the tens of […]

Army denies COAS made apology remarks

Chinese FM undertakes ‘most important’ visit; Dar says our policy’s ‘cardinal pillar’ won’t change

Centre plans to trim provinces' NFC share

CJP-led bench grants bail to former PM in eight May 9 riots cases

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi has initiated the major phase to provide compensation in the B4U scam case, distributing cheques to 17,500 victims, ARY News reported. The compensation distribution took place in a formal ceremony held at the NAB Headquarters in Islamabad NAB Chairman Lt. Gen (Retd.) Nazir Ahmed, senior authorities, and affected […]

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has planned to conduct a Mobile Registration drive on August 23, 2025, focusing main UK locations. The Mobile Registration drive will be stationed in UK locations in Banbury (Birmingham) and Brierfield (Manchester) to assist overseas Pakistanis with necessary identification services, such as renewal of Computerised National Identity […]

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived at Shaheed Major Rizwan Tahir’s residence to express solidarity with the grieving family on the martyrdom of the officer in a recent counter-terrorism operation in Noshki, Balochistan, ARY News reported. Major Rizwan Tahir sacrificed his life in martyrdom during a recent mission in Noshki. During the mission, an improvised […]

The Trump administration on Thursday issued more Iran-related sanctions, targeting 13 entities based in Hong Kong, China, the United Arab Emirates and the Marshall Islands, as well as eight vessels, the U.S. Treasury Department said. The measures cover Greek national Antonios Margaritis and his network of companies and vessels that Treasury said was involved in […]

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with China across various areas including trade, investment, ICT, agriculture, industrialization, mines and minerals, and other critical sectors. He made these remarks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who called on him in Islamabad. The prime minister highlighted […]

Hollywood actor Karen Gillan has joined Henry Cavill in the hotly anticipated remake of 1980s cult classic, ‘Highlander.’ Click here to read more Lifestyle stories Developed by Amazon MGM, the film is led by Cavill alongside Russell Crowe, Dave Bautista, and Marisa Abela in key roles. Reports said that Karen Gillan will star as Heather, […]

Hours after the PTI announced late Thursday that men in plainclothes had “abducted” the son of Aleema Khanum, the sister of party founder and ex-premier Imran Khan, from her residence, Lahore police announced that Shahrez Khan had been arrested in connection with a May 9 case. Shortly after the ‘abduction’ was reported, police officials had expressed ignorance of Shahrez’s whereabouts and said they could only look into the matter if an official complaint was lodged. Earlier, PTI Lawyer Rana Mudassar Umar had told Dawn.com that Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, was “kidnapped” from his home in Lahore. “People dressed in plain clothes entered the house and took Aleema Khan’s son with them,” he claimed. “No case has been registered against Shahrez, nor is he related to politics.” Mudassar said that no information had been given about Shahrez’s whereabouts and that he would approach the Lahore High Court for his recovery. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram wrote on X: “During an attack, people dressed in pla...

A US State Department official on Thursday said that continuous vetting applies to “all of the more than 55 million foreigners who currently hold valid United States visas”, including those who have already been admitted to enter the country. “The State Department revokes visas any time there are indications of a potential ineligibility, which includes things like any indicators of overstays, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engaging in any form of terrorist activity, or providing support to a terrorist organisation,” the official said. In a written comment to The Associated Press, the official said that if a visa holder presents these indications, their visa will be revoked and they will be subject to deportation if they are already in the US. US President Donald Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration a focus of his presidency, boosting resources to secure the border and arresting people in the country illegally. Earlier this month, the US government announced that it could require b...

Singer Hasan Raheem teases cryptic new album with Instagram reels days after confirming marriage

From floods to heatwaves, grassroots artists weave loss into rhythms

Show's creator Bilal Maqsood cautions people to not open any links from the channel